Refrigerating apparatus



2 SheetsSheet 2 u June-"fez y D. E. MAccABEE REFRIGERATI-NG' APPARATUSFiled July 31, 1928 modities of different characters are main.

- clearly shown.

Patented July. 19, 1932 J UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DAVID E. MACCABEE,or narrow, omo, 'assrenoa r0 rmexnamn conrona'rron, or

- narrow, 01110. A conronarron or nnmwaan' REB'BIGEBATING :APPABATUBApplication filed July a1, 1928. Serial Ira 296,492.

This inventionrelates to refrigerating apparatus and particularly tosoda fountains and similar devices in which var1ous comtained atdiiferent temperatures. I

It is one of the objects of the inventionto provide a simplified andeconomical refrigerating system particularly adapted to soda fountains.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved and.simplified arrangement for maintaining a number of differenttemperatures by means of a single refr1g-' erating system. i r

More specifically it is one of the ob ects of the invention to operate aplurality of evaporating elements in series and to ,provide an improvedand simplifiedmeans for controlling the amount of liquid refrigerantwhich enters successive evaporators of the series.

Further objects and. advantages of the present invention will beapparent from the following description, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, wherein a preferred form of the present inventionis In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a di am of a refrigerating system embodying t e presentinvention;

"Fig. 2 is a plan view of a soda fountain havin a refrigerating systemconstructed in acco ance with the invention; and

Fi 3 is an end elevation of the same.

It is usual to rovide soda fountains with a com artment or storing icecream which shoul be kept at a temperature of F. or less, a compartmentfor storing and cooling water on draft which should be maintained'at atemperature of around 40 and a compartment for containers of fountainsyrups, fruit juices and the like, commonly called a syrup rail, whichshould be main tained at a temperature of 559 F. or less.

My invention is concerned withan improved arran ement and method'formamtaining the a ove mentioned compartments at their individual propertemperatures by means of a single,refr1gerating system or apparatus. i

Referring to Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawin 10 designates an suitable sodafountam which is provide with an ice cream compartment 11, a watercompartment 12 and a syrup rail 13 for holding the syrup containers 14.Each of the compartments may be suitably insulated according to thetemperatures at which it is to be. maintained. A relatively highpressure evaporator 16 is placed in the water compartment and arelatively low pressure ev'aporatorfl'l placed in the ice creamcompartment. Referring to Rig. 1, these evaporators are preferably ofthe flooded type and each include a header 20 forming a reservoir forliquid refrigerant which is kept at a constant level thereinunder thecontrol of a float valve 22, and refrigerant circulating tubes or coils23. The evaporators are supplied with liquid refrigerant through liquidlines 26 and-27 connected in parallel to a condensing element generallydenoted by 28 which also withdrawsevapov and described in theapplication of Ernest Dickey Serial No. 7 53,048, filed December 1,1924. This valve is opened by the pressure elf-refrigerant in theevaporator 16 and automat-ically closes at some predetermined lowpressure corresponding, for example, to 35 F. and thus preventsrefrigeration of the evaporator below that temperature.

- The condensing element 28 includes any suitable compressor 32 actuatedby a motor 33 under the control of a switch 34 which is oper'atedinresponse to thepressure existing.-

in the va or conduit 29.--- When the pressure existing in this conduitis, above that corres ending to a'temperature of. about"5F. 08. t eswitch closes to actuate the'compressor and withdraw the refrigerantfrom the evap-- 34 orator 17 until the pressure has been reduced to avalue corresponding to a predetermined low temperature, for example zerodegrees;

' from evaporator 16 only when the pressure regulating valve 81 is open,that is, when the,

temperature of 16 is above 35 F.

The conduit 30 connecting the evaporator 16 and the exhaust conduit 29includes a portion forming the condensin coil 34' which'is in thermalrelation with t e evaporator 17 and a portion 35 forming an evaporatorwhich is in thermal relation with thesyrup rail. Preferably theevaporator 17 is immersed in a non-freezing solution such as brine as isusual in cases of this character,

'and the condensing conduit, 84 is also immersed in the brine.

Whenever refrigerant is withdrawn from the evaporator 16 under controlof the pressure regulating valve 31, this refrigerant will be forexample at a temperature of 35 F. an a pressure of about 9 pounds .persquare inch auge The refrigerant comes in contact with the brine at atemperature, for example of 7 F. This is, of course, cold enough tocondense some or a of the refrigerant at this or a lower pressure. Thecondensed refrigerant is therefore drawn into the conduit 35 associatedwith the syrup rail and is there evaporated, supplying refrigeration forthe syrup. The evaporated refrigerant is finally drawn into the comressor to be condensed and circulated throug the system again. Thetemperature at which the syrup rail is maintained is regulated by theamount of refrigerant which is evaporated in a unit of time in the coil35. This is in turn controlled by the amount of liquid refri erant whichis condensed in the coil 34'. ince under certain conditions all of therefrigerant condensed in the coil 34 may not be eva rated in the coil 35it is desirable to rovidg means for reventing the remaining quidrefrigerant fi om being drawn into the vapor conduit 29. This isaccomplished by connectin the coil 35 to the conduit 29 through 1: eheader 20 of the evaporator 17 as shown in Fig. 1. The header thus formsa trap which collectsany liquid refrigerant discharged from the conduit35 and permits only gaseous refrigerant to be drawn into the conduit 29.

The above described system provides a very simple and reliable method ofcoolin the syru rail of a soda fountain and 0 controlling the amount ofliquid refrigerant which is admitted to the syrup rail evaporator. f

While the form of embodiment of the invention as hereindisclosed,constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that otherformsmight be adopted, all comingwithin the sco of the claims which follow.-

What is claimed is as follows:

1. Refrigerating apparatus comprising in combination a refrigerantcirculating device, a pair of refrigerating elements connected in seriesbetween the outlet and inlet of the circulatin device, and means betweenthe elements or cooling refrigerant issuing from the first element.

2. Refrigerating apparatus comprising in combination a condensingelement, a pair of evaporators connected in series between theevaporator.

4. Refrigerating apparatus comprising in combinatlon a condensingelement, apair of evaporators connected in series between the out of thegaseous refrigerant 'issuing from the first evaporator, and a thirdevaporator for evaporating refrigerant from the condenser.

5. The method of, refrigerating which consists in circulatin volatilerefrigerant through a pair evaporating said refrigerant in the firstevaporator, condensing some or all ofsaid evaporated refrigerant andevaporating said condensed refrigerant in the second evaporator.

6. The method of refrigerating which consists in circulating volatilerefrigerant through a pair of evaporators in series, evaporating saidrefrigerant in the first evaporator, condensiifgrsome or all of saidevaporated refrigerant at a pressure no greater than the evaporatingpressure and evaporating said condensed refrigerant in the secondevaporator.

7. Refrigerating a paratus comprising in o evaporators in series,

et and inlet of the condensing element, a condenser for" condensing atleast a portion combination a air 0 evaporators connected I in series, acon ensing element for su plying liquid refrigerant to and with rawingaseous refrigerant from the series, a thir evaporator connected inarallel circuit rela-,

a condensing con-- in the first element, and evaporatin t a con densedrefrigerant in the second e ement of 'the series.

ting

1 9. Refrigerating apparatus-comprising in combination, a pair ofe'vaporators, a conduit connecting the evaporators in series, and athird evaporator connected in parallel circuit relation with the series,the conduit being thermally associated with the "third evaporator.

10. Refrigerating apparatus comprisin in combination a pair ofevaporators, acon uit connecting the evaporators in series, a containerfor a non-freezing liquid, and a third evaporator in the container andconnected in parallel circuit relation with the series, said conduitpassing through said container. 7 11. Refrigerating apparatus comprisingin combination a relatively high temperatur= compartment, a relativelylow temperature compartment and a compartment to be maintained at anintermediate temperature, means for refrigerating all. suchcompartmentsin- 'clu'ding an evaporator in the intermediate temperaturecompartment and an evaporator in the low temperature compartmentconnected in parallel circuit relation with the first mentionedevaporator, a third evaporator in the high temperature compartmentconnected in series with the first mentioned evaporator, and meansassociated with the low. temperature evaporator forcondensing gaseousrefrigerant passing from the intermediate temperature evaporator to thehigh temperature evaporator.

12. A soda fountain comprising in'combination an ice cream compartment,a compartment for circulating water, a compartment for storing syrup andmeans for refrigerating said compartments including a refrigerantcirculating device, an evaporator associated with each compartment, thewater compartment evaporator and the syrup compartment evaporator beingconnected in series with each other and in parallel circuit relationwith the ice cream compartment evaporator, and means for condensinggaseous refrigerant issuing from the water com- L said brine tankconne'ctin partment evaporator before such refrigerant enters the syrupcompartment evaporator.

13. Apparatus defined in; claim 12 wherein the condensingmeans is aconduit thermally consists'in maintaining a constant supply of liquidrefrigerant at low pressure in heat exchan e relation with a compartmentto be coole evaporating the refrigerant in response to the refri cratingdemand of said compartment, with rawing all of said evaporatedrefrigerant, condensing some or all of said evaporated refrigerant atthe evaporating pressure, and evaporating said condensed refrigerant'inthermal association with a second compartment to be cooled.

16, Refrigerating a paratus comprising -1n combination a re rigeratingchamber,

ating chamber at the evaporatinglpressure before said refrigerant passesto t e second refrigerating chamber.

' 17. Refrigerating apparatus comprising in combination a pair ofevaporators connected in series, a condensing element for supplyingliquid refrigerant to and withdrawing gaseous refrigerant from theseries,

a third evaporator connected in parallel circuit relation with theseries and-a condensing conduit between the evaporators of the seriesthermally associated with the third evaporator, said apparatusincludinga trap for liquid refrigerant between the series and the condensingelement.

a In testimony whereof I hereto ailix my signature. r

DAVID E. MACCABEE.

associated with the ice cream compartment evaporator. r

14. A soda fountain comprisingin combination an ice cream compartmentincluding a brine tank, a compartment for. circulating means forrefrigerating said compartments including an evaporator associated witheach compartment, and a conduitpassing through the water compartmentevaporator-and t e syrup compart- 1 water, a compartment for storingsyrup, and

ment evaporatorin series with each other,

the ice cream compartment evaporator being connected in parallel circuitrelation wlth said series.

-15.' The method of refrigerating which

